NBA Free Agency: Top 5 Best Destinations For Tony Parker

Tony Parker has to be unanimously considered one of the greatest foreign players in the history of the league, and even one of the best point guards of modern basketball, even though he’s never been much of a stat sheet stuffer.

The future Hall of Famer has always thrived in the playoffs and has been one of the main reasons why the Gregg Popovich era was so full of success, winning 4 NBA Championships since entering the league in 2001.

Nonetheless, after being demoted to a substitute role, it seems like the Tony Parker era at San Antonio might be over, even though we always expected him to finish his career dressed in gray and black.

Now, the 35-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent and has recently stated that he’s open to playing elsewhere to finish his career. Odd as it may seem, we’re going to let you know about the top 5 possible destinations for Tony Parker.

5. Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are set to let Isaiah Thomas walk away during the summer for sure, so Tony Parker may be a great addition off the bench for them, not to mention a great mentor for a young Lonzo Ball.

Expectations wouldn’t be so high on the Lakers for this upcoming campaign unless they find a couple of top-tier free agents, and we all know what TP’s capable of doing during the playoffs, and he’d thrive playing on a big market.

4. New York Knicks

If we talk about big markets, we definitely have to consider the New York Knicks, especially now that they’re likely to go through a major overhaul now that coach David Fizdale has decided to take the reins of this mess.

Parker could be a major mentor for Ntilikina, also being a tweener point guard out of France as Tony once was. The main problem here would be the major logjam at the point guard spot, with Trey Burke and Emmanuel Mudiay also on board.

3. Golden State Warriors

If Tony Parker wants to retire as a Champion, going to the Golden State Warriors would be a no-brainer. He already knows San Antonio’s system and flaws, and he wouldn’t even have to be on the floor for much time on a nightly basis.

Taking the veteran minimum, he could replace Shaun Livingston, with the Dubs unlikely to keep him beyond this year for salary cap reasons. Also, he’d have an easy path to the NBA Finals for the first time in years.

2. Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets would also be a great fit for Tony Parker, coming off the bench to replace Chris Paul en route to another WCF appearance, also signing for the veteran minimum and playing just a handful of minutes per game.

Houston lacks a backup point guard and Tony wouldn’t have to move far from where he’s established his roots, although they may be some loyalty issues here and his fan base would be definitely hurt.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers would be another no-brainer for Tony Parker, being a clear frontrunner to make it to the NBA Finals with LeBron James on board, and one of the most stacked teams in the Association, at least if we talk about depth.

With Parker on board, Jordan Clarkson would shift to the backup shooting guard spot, and he’s looked way better off-ball than as a primary ball handler, not to mention how deadly a Parker-James lineup would be with two of the greatest passers in the history of the world.